1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hybrid connector including an optical fiber cable with a ferrule attached at the end thereof, which is used in a vehicle such as an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle such as an automobile, there are many signals transmitted from various sensors and many signals used to control various electronic components. If these signals are transmitted by using individual signal lines, the number of the signal lines becomes large, resulting in the wiring harness weighing very heavy. In addition, the information transmitted has had large volumes and densities year by year.
To cope with this, in recent years, there has been adopted a system in which part of the wiring harnesses are replaced by optical fiber cables. For example, a connection has been made between nodes by an optical fiber cable.
With such system, however, because connection between electronic components and optical fiber cables is made through various forms of connector-connection, there exist a large number of optical fiber cables having connector in different forms, adversely affecting the production management and the production cost. The general versatility has also been impaired.
This invention has been accomplished to overcome the above drawbacks and an object of this invention is to provide a hybrid connector the form of which is selectable, in connecting to electronic components, in accordance with the form of connection of a mating connector.
In order to attain the object, according to an aspect of this invention, there is provided a hybrid connector which comprises: an optical fiber cable having a ferrule attached at one end thereof; an optical adapter having an insertion opening and a receiving cavity for the one end of the optical fiber cable and a connection opening located at a side opposite the insertion opening for connection therethrough of the one end of the optical fiber cable, arranged contiguously along an insertion direction of the one end of the optical fiber cable; an electrical connector having terminal receiving cavities formed therein for receiving electrical terminals and an optical adapter mount section for receiving the optical adapter; an optical adapter cover for receiving the optical adapter, having walls arranged circumferentially relative to the insertion direction of the one end of the optical fiber cable; and an optical housing having a housing side insertion opening and a housing side receiving cavity for the one end of the optical fiber cable and a housing side connection opening located at a side opposite the housing side insertion opening for connection therethrough of the one end of the optical fiber cable, arranged contiguously along the insertion direction of the one end of the optical fiber cable; wherein the hybrid connector is selectively assembled as an optical/electrical connector including the optical fiber cable, the optical adapter and the electrical connector, as a first optical connector including the optical fiber cable, the optical adapter and the optical adapter cover, or as a second optical connector including the optical fiber cable and the optical housing.
The hybrid connector of the above construction, depending on the constituent elements selected, can be provided as an optical/electrical connector, a first optical connector and a second optical connector, and its form is thus selectable in compliance with the form of the mating connector.
Preferably, the optical adapter cover and the optical housing have substantially the same outside configuration to be selectively mountable in the same mating optical connector.
Preferably, the hybrid connector further comprises a holder, and the optical adapter, the electrical connector, the optical adapter cover and the optical housing have an engagement hole substantially of the same size for the holder, wherein when the hybrid connector is assembled as the optical/electrical connector, the holder is fitted and inserted, in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the one end of the optical fiber cable, through the engagement holes of the electrical connector and the optical adapter to come into locking engagement with the optical adapter and the ferrule, wherein when the hybrid connector is assembled as the first optical connector, the holder is fitted and inserted through the engagement holes of the optical adapter cover and the optical adapter to come into locking engagement with the optical adapter and the ferrule, and wherein when the hybrid connector is assembled as the second optical connector, the holder is fitted and inserted through the engagement hole of the optical housing to come into locking engagement with the ferrule.
Advantageously, the ferrule has a circumferential flange at an intermediate length thereof, and the holder comes into locking engagement with the circumferential flange.
Advantageously, the optical adapter has a locking projection projecting in a cantilever manner into the receiving cavity to engage with the circumferential flange of the ferrule to double lock the one end of the optical fiber cable in the receiving cavity.
Preferably, the receiving cavity of the optical adapter and the housing side receiving cavity of the optical housing have substantially the same size to receive the one end of the optical fiber cable.
Preferably, the hybrid connector is of a female type.
Preferably, the receiving cavity of the optical adapter and the housing side receiving cavity of the optical housing have a longitudinal length larger than that of the ferrule, so that a tip end of the ferrule received in either one of the receiving cavities is not exposed from the respective connection opening.
In the hybrid connector as mentioned above, the tip end of the ferrule is not exposed outside. In this way, the tip end of the ferrule is protected, prior to connector-connection to a mating connector, from damages and the like.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a hybrid connector which comprises: an optical fiber cable having a ferrule attached at one end thereof; an optical adapter having an insertion opening and a receiving cavity for the one end of the optical fiber cable and a connection opening located at a side opposite the insertion opening for connection therethrough of the one end of the optical fiber cable, arranged contiguously along an insertion direction of the one end of the optical fiber cable; an electrical connector having terminal receiving cavities formed therein for receiving electrical terminals and an optical adapter mount section for receiving the optical adapter; and an optical adapter cover for receiving the optical adapter, having walls arranged circumferentially relative to the insertion direction of the one end of the optical fiber cable; wherein the hybrid connector is selectively assembled as an optical/electrical connector including the optical fiber cable, the optical adapter and the electrical connector, or as an optical connector including the optical fiber cable, the optical adapter and the optical adapter cover.
The hybrid connector of the above construction, depending on the constituent elements selected, can be provided as an optical/electrical connector or an optical connector, and its form is thus selectable in compliance with the form of the mating connector.
Preferably, the hybrid connector further comprises a holder, and the optical adapter, the electrical connector and the optical adapter cover have an engagement hole substantially of the same size for the holder, wherein when the hybrid connector is assembled as the optical/electrical connector, the holder is fitted and inserted, in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the one end of the optical fiber cable, through the engagement holes of the electrical connector and the optical adapter to come into locking engagement with the optical adapter and the ferrule, and wherein when the hybrid connector is assembled as the optical connector, the holder is fitted and inserted through the engagement holes of the optical adapter cover and the optical adapter to come into locking engagement with the optical adapter and the ferrule.
Advantageously, the ferrule has a circumferential flange at an intermediate length thereof, and the holder comes into locking engagement with the circumferential flange.
Advantageously, the optical adapter has a locking projection projecting in a cantilever manner into the receiving cavity to engage with the circumferential flange of the ferrule to double lock the one end of the optical fiber cable in the receiving cavity.
Preferably, the hybrid connector is of a female type.
Preferably, the receiving cavity of the optical adapter has a longitudinal length larger than that of the ferrule, so that a tip end of the ferrule received in the receiving cavity is not exposed from the connection opening.
Preferably, two of the optical fiber cables are provided, one for sending and the other for receiving optical signals.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.